This lesson will depart from our standard beginning-of-period format (i.e. cultural and historical context followed by a particular author) in order to focus solely on the literary movements of the nineteenth century. An understanding of Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism, and Symbolism is crucial to the study of the Nineteenth Century. You may find this lesson challenging because of the number of concepts covered, but if you focus on the distinguishing characteristics of each movement, you will learn a solid framework for talking about nineteenth-century literature.